seems like nothing going on...

the last couple of weeks it seems i've been doing more humor that anything else on the site.

post-election blahs? not really. i'm glad it's over.

too much Obama? no. it is to be expected. Tsar George has basically bowed out of everything, and people are looking forward to a change from the last eight years. i'm sure even the Busheviks are included in this. they probably are happy that the lead weight is going to be gone from around their necks.

holiday blues? not really. holidays have been great for me the last several years. i look forward to them and have a good time.

cabin fever? too early. the weather has just begun to change in Chicago and the sun is coming out every couple of days. besides, fall has always been my favorite season of the year.

idleness? no way. the Thanksgiving holiday. the HEDAC holiday donation mailer. a new startup charity i'm getting involved with called H.A.N.K. - Helping All Needy Kids based in the community my school was located. opera season. [i've already seen Les Pecheur des perles, Manon, and Lulu. Porgy & Bess is next.] the gym. doctors.

oh, there's a big part of it. i've been to see the neurosurgeon again, had a new MRI and also underwent a series of tests to determine nerve damage with my back. it's been a year since the original injury; i've had multiple interventions and one major surgery. looks like it may be another, even more complicated. i'll find out more on the 18th.

the economy? definitely. my portfolio is waaayyyyyyy down, but who's isn't. it's sad to see everyone struggling. being on a fixed income with retirement, i watch the prices of things going up and realize that it effects me also. i go by the local churches and see more people in line at the food pantries, and i don't live in a poor neighborhood. it's very middle class and established. it's kind of sad. no, it's very sad.

Propositon 8 in California? yes, that's a large part of it also. i've been watching so much of what has been happening as it's result. the LGBT community is at odds not only with the wingnutters but with itself also. the latest was an op-ed in the New York Times - Gay Marriage and a Moral Minority - by Charles M. Blow. there is a lot to the article but the effect it is having has at its heart that Civil Rights and rights for LGBT are not the same thing.

you see, i've always believed that a civil right is a civil right no matter what you gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality, etc. that civil rights are the promises made by the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, the Rights of Man, Déclaration des droits de l'Homme et du citoyen, etc. had no barrier to anyone who is a human being, in spite of the decades it took to complete it for women, African-Americans and others.

with the latter, i thought that when Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed, though it was meant to specifically address the standing of the Black Community, it would be understood that no one should be left out of basic civil rights.

i suppose i could mention other things, but probably the ones above are the biggest and, add in my back problems, it sometimes seems overwhelming. i also understand that others are worse off, but i am only a speck. there is only so much any one of us can do.

we just have to make sure we do it...

after Thanksgiving exercise program...

especially with all we ate yesterday...



I tried it, I liked it; and you will too!

The older we get the more important it is to incorporate exercise into our daily routine, especially after holidays. This is necessary to maintain cardiovascular health and maintain muscle mass.

If you're over 40, you might want to take it easy at first, then do more repetitions as you become more proficient and build stamina.

Warning: It may be too strenuous for some.


Always consult your doctor before starting any exercise program!

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That's enough for the first day.

Great job!

Have a glass of wine. It's good for your heart.


...whew, that really tired me out!

think of how much you're going to save on gym memberships...

Happy Thanksgiving...

A game warden was driving down the road when he came upon a young boy carrying a wild turkey under his arm.


He stopped and asked the boy, 'Where did you get that turkey?'


The boy replied, 'What turkey?'


The game warden said, 'That turkey you're carrying under your arm.'


The boy looks down and said, 'Well, lookee here, a turkey done
roosted under my arm!'


The game warden said, 'Now look, you know turkey season is closed, so whatever you do to that turkey, I'm going to do to you.'


If you break his leg, I'm gonna break your leg. If you break his wing, I'll break your arm. Whatever you do to him, I'll do to you. So, what are you gonna do with him?'


The little boy said, 'I guess I'll just kiss his ass and let him go!'






May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have never a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

"one of these day, Alice. one of these days...

POW! right in the kisser."

Jamie over at Green Mountain Jamie always has these fun quizzes.

today he had What color is your kiss? mine?

Your Kiss is Orange

For you, kissing is all about pushing the envelope. You're a wild kisser. And you don't have to know someone all that well to kiss them. (You figure that's how you'll get to know one another!) While you may be impulsive with who you kiss, there's nothing random about your kissing technique. Kissing Type: Unconventional People See Your Kisses as: Intoxicating You Kiss Best With: A Red Kisser Stay away from: A Pink Kisser

What Color Is Your Kiss?

what (who) is a pink kisser?

thanks, Jamie. you're safe since you are a green kisser...

the use of fear in the United States...

I would also add hatred, but it would be an oxymoron because hatred is being used to promote the fear.

It's taken me awhile to digest a report at Media Matters from November 13, 2008 -

Women, minorities, autistic children: Conservative radio's vitriol not reserved for Obama

by Eric Boehlert and Jamison Foser on their blog County Fair that is part of the broader Media Matters site.

Today, there was a follow-up to the report - Homophobic Hate Speech "More Than Offensive" - on County Fair that addresses the specific reaction to the LGBTQ venom that the conservative right-wing media spreads.

LGBTQ is only a part of the initial report. It includes smears against immigrants, sex & gender, race and ethnicity, the poor, "those with HIV/AIDS, people with autism, teachers, other radio hosts, comedians perceived as progressive, Democrats in the House and Senate, and the organizations that document their attacks."

Just one example cited in the article by ultra-conservative radio blatherer Michael Savage on his show The Savage Nation:

... Democratic Party's "membership is made up largely of minority blocs ... that are all against the white person..."

Racist, sexist, homophopic, anti-Latino, and all blatant and non-apologetic. All men, and women, are not created equal to these people. No matter what the Declaration of Independence nor the Constitution of the United States say, even though these men quote and spout it at every turn as justification for what they say.

Every member of the right-wing media has one thing in common. They all profess to be christian.

Yet when you read the article, listen to these people talk and hear the quotes from not only Savage but others like G. Gordon Liddy, Mark Levin, or Bill Cunningham, you see the blatant blindness they have to the law set down by their Jesus in the gospel of Luke,10: 25–37. There is no love in their words; there is no acceptance in their thinking; nor is there any "Go and do likewise."

These people spread fear and hatred in order to maintain their false sense of power. They are losing hold on what they know, deep down in their psyches, is no longer applicable. We no longer live in a White Anglo-Saxon Protestant world. The christian nation they so highly tout has created a world that wants what they have, and they are fighting to keep it away from them. These radio personalities speak out of both sides of their mouths - at the same time.

I recommend that you click on the links to the Media Matters report and today's follow-up. It is long and at times difficult to read without getting angry, but it puts into one place the hypocrisy and an accurate description of these people as the pharisees of today's world.

These men, and they are all men, are not ignorant; they are not stupid; they are idiots. An idiot, according to a group of fourth graders I taught one year, is someone who is too stupid to know they are ignorant.

fourth graders! that would be nine & ten-year olds...

monday morning mayhem...

missed-diagnosis...

Doctors registered opinions about the current financial disaster, specifically in regard to the Government "Bail Out Package".

Opinions were as follows:

Allergists voted to scratch it, whereas

Dermatologists advised not to make any rash moves.

Gastroenterologists had sort of a gut feeling, but

Neurologists thought the Administration had a lot of nerve!

Obstetricians said we were laboring under a misconception, but

Ophthalmologists flat out vetoed the bill as being short-sighted.

Pathologists yelled, 'Over my dead body!' and

Pediatricians rallied to chant, 'Oh, Grow up!'

Psychiatrists thought the whole idea was madness, while

Radiologists could see right through it.

Surgeons agreed to cut it up and wash their hands of it, yet

Internists thought it was a bitter pill we have to swallow.

Plastic Surgeons said, 'This puts a whole new face on things.'

Podiatrists thought it was a step forward, but

Urologists said the it would not hold water.

Anesthesiologists noted that the whole idea was a gas, but

Cardiologists didn't have the heart to say no.

Final opinion was voiced by a coalition of Proctologists

Who advised everyone to leave the financial fiasco with the assholes in Washington who caused it.



IMPORTANT BREAKING NEWS...

China will no longer publish a phone directory due to chaos-

There are so many Wing's and Wong's in THE DIRECTORY,
people were always wingin wong numbers.

I felt you needed to know this.

if anyone gets smart with you at work this week...

try this -

hey, it's a three-day week for most of you with turkey day. you can save the flying bitch slap for when you really need it...

so have a great week...

learning English...

i've been learning Spanish over the last couple of months in anticipation of going to Honduras in February to work with the schools through HEDAC, the charitable organization of which i'm secretary. unfortunately, the doctors have put the kabosh on my going since my back is all screwed up again.

i speak French fairly well; i spoke and understood an Italian/Albanian dialect for most of my younger years; and i took two years of Russian in College. learning Spanish has brought me a lot of new understanding about language. having taught elementary school and being a elementary school administrator for many years, i understand the concepts behind learning and teaching.

each language has a lot of idiomatic and structural challenges, but they are nothing like in English. when you are a native English speaker you take a lot for granted. people learning English have a worse time than with any other language. English is probably the hardest one to learn.

here is just one little sampling of why it is so difficult:

Lovers of the English language might enjoy this. It is yet another example of why people learning English have trouble with the language. Learning the nuances of English makes it a difficult language. (But then, that's probably true of many languages.)


There is a two-letter word in English that perhaps has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that word is 'UP.'

It is listed in the dictionary as being used as an [adv], [prep], [adj], [n] or [v].

It's easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP?

At a meeting, why does a topic come UP ?

Why do we speak UP, and why are the officers UP for election and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report?

We call UP our friends and we use it to brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver.

We warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen.

We lock UP the house and some guys fix UP the old car.

At other times the little word has a real special meaning. People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses.

To be dressed is one thing but to be dressed UP is special.


it's no wonder some people get all f***** UP when they talk and start screaming "UP yours..."

commercial time: a group of the others is still going in February to Honduras; we are in the midst of our annual fundraising drive right now. if you would, please click on the HEDAC link in the sidebar and help us help the kids.

all money goes directly to services, supplies and school rehab for the kids, less operating expenses for things like mailings. each person who goes on our trips pays the way for him/herself.

the link allows credit card donations or you can send a check to HEDAC, 111 E. Chestnut #50G, Chicago, IL 60611. please notate my name [Mike] on the donation as we need it for accounting purposes being a 501(c)(3) with all donations being tax-deductable.

we thank you for your help...

m/

weekender...

One night, an 87-year-old woman came home from Bingo to find her 92-year-old husband in bed with another woman.

She became violent and ended up pushing him off the balcony of their 20th floor apartment, killing him instantly.

Brought before the court, on the charge of murder, she was asked if she had anything to say in her own defense.

'Your Honor,' she began coolly, 'I figured that at 92, if he could screw, he could fly.'

monday morning mayhem...

just Ducky...





I saw a woman wearing a sweat shirt with 'Guess' on it.
So I said, 'Implants?'
She hit me.

next time you think your job is bad...






if last week went bad, think like Little Jamie...


Whenever I'm disappointed with my spot in life, I stop and think about little Jamie Scott.

Jamie was trying out for a part in the school play. His mother told me that he'd set his heart on being in it, though she feared he would not be chosen.

On the day the parts were awarded, I went with her to collect him after school.. Jamie rushed up to her, eyes shining with pride and excitement. 'Guess what, Mom,' he shouted, and then said those words that will remain a lesson to me.....'I've been chosen to clap and cheer.'


this week will be better...

unbelievable ignorance...

the American Family Association is selling these online for a suggested donation of $81.85, to people who are Looking for an effective way to express your Christian faith this Christmas season...





a burning cross?

this is not a joke. you can click on the link before the photo to see it for yourself, but be careful not to hurt yourself...

these people have lost their minds.

i can't wait to hear the African-American reaction to this...

i'm also wondering if this is not a reaction to the election results of November 4, 2008. subliminal or otherwise...

and, of course, the christianists will scream that people are trying to stop their right of free speech and freedom of religion as an excuse when this makes the news and shows up on more and more websites. when did they become the victims?

one friend's reaction when i emailed him was: I won't have to work all day stringing lights in the front of my house. One cross will do.

i think we may have just officially entered the Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits and Scare Tactics all at the same time.

unf****** believable ignorance!


thanks to The Box Turtle Bulletin for the heads-up on this.

a little late...

by a couple of months, i'd say...

make up a sin...

any sin. Or so it seems.

A Roman Catholic Priest in South Carolina is urging parishioners: Priest advises penance for Obama vote - Parishioners shouldn't take Communion until they do because of president-elect's abortion view, he says

The priest at St. Mary's Catholic Church in downtown Greenville has told parishioners that those who voted for Barack Obama placed themselves under divine judgment because of his stance on abortion and shouldn't receive Holy Communion until they've done penance....

In a letter posted on St. Mary's Web site, Newman wrote that "voting for a pro-abortion politician when a plausible pro-life alternative exists constitutes material cooperation with intrinsic evil."

This is one of the reasons that the Catholic church is loosing members. It has never gotten the idea that U.S. citizen's have a different outlook than other parts of the world. The idea of "free choice" is embedded in not just our rule of law but in our psyches.

Unlike the LDS that can put out an edict demanding that its members unquestioningly support specific causes with money or action [yes, i mean Prop 8] or face excommunication, most U.S. religions don't do fatwas. There has been a continuous battle between religion and law all over the world. The church has never recovered from its loss of power after the Middle Ages.

Makes you want to go back to times like, oh, say Henry II - Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?

I'm not suggesting Henry II's solution. I just wish that they would get their noses out of politics and focus on the all important message they spout as the ultimate commandment - Love they neighbor as thyself.

important post election question...

How come we choose from just two people to run for president and over fifty for Miss America?

oh, this is the weekender, by the way...


and no sexist jokes, please. we've been in enough trouble with all the anarchy we've been up to this week as it is... [i love being an anarchist again! i soooooo miss the 60's...]

no matter what...

is the first half of this blog's title. it's from an Andrew Lloyd Webber play, Whistle Down the Wind. it was made famous by the British group Boyzone.

they have a new video out that is something special. it's called "Better".





originally, they had planned to use their actual spouses in the video, but decided to use actors instead. great lyrics...


thanks for the heads up Andy. i've always enjoyed the group's music and am glad to here they are performing again.

wednesday waner...

A nursery school pupil told his teacher he'd found a cat, but it was dead.

'How do you know that the cat was dead?' she asked her pupil.

'Because I pissed in its ear and it didn't move,' answered the child innocently.

'You did WHAT?' the teacher exclaimed in surprise.

'You know,' explained the boy, 'I leaned over and went 'Pssst' and it didn't move.'

wow...

from Autoblog.com - Mirror-finish Bugatti Veyron marks new pavillion at Autostadt







you don't know how moist i am with this one...


and i dropped my jaw all the way to the floor!

if they really want to "defend" marriage...

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

i've often thought about this myself. with the divorce rate in excess of 50% and the number of children in one-parent homes and in foster care, the people against same-sex marriage should put their money where their mouths are...

i worked with kids for my entire adult life in schools. one of the biggest problems we had was not the kids; it was the parents. i dealt with some very strange physical and mental abuse cases. i could never understand how anyone could do something harmful to kids.

once, after a particularly difficult case, i made the comment that i thought that "people should have to pass a test to become parents, just like you have to pass a test to get a driver's license."

one of my more conservative teachers return comment was, "I think they should have to pass a test to have the fun to have a child."

there was absolutely no arguing with that logic.

olbermann special comment: 11.10.08...

not just on Proposition 8, but also on the entire idea of hypocrisy and the changes that need to be made in the concept of humanity





Picking and choosing has always been a trait of the christianists. They use what they want for their ends and ignore the ones that do not meet their personal prejudices and agendas. They accuse others of having agendas against their religion when they are experts at the technique. They decry activist judges who do no keep in step with their drumbeat, yet they use their own activist justices like Alito, Thomas, Roberts etal. to foster hatred and scorn. These people are the ultimate hypocrites.

MSNBC just announced that they have renewed Keith Olbermann's contract for another four years.

monday morning mayhem...

IF MY BODY WERE A CAR...

If my body were a car, this is the time I would be thinking about trading it in for a newer model. I've got bumps and dents and scratches in my finish, and my paint job is getting a little dull ... But that's not the worst of it.

My headlights are out of focus, and it's especially hard to see things up close.

My traction is not as graceful as it once was. I slip and slide and skid and bump into things, even in the best of weather.

My whitewalls are stained with varicose veins.

It takes me hours to reach my maximum speed.

My fuel rate burns inefficiently.

But here's the worst of it --







Almost every time I sneeze, cough or laugh....

either my radiator leaks or my exhaust backfires!



there is no way to top this one...

weekender (bonus)...

just got this and it had to share it...

Two men are sitting at the bar at the top of the Empire State Building drinking, when the first man turns to the other one and says: "You know, last week I discovered that if you jump from the top of this building, by the time you fall to the 10th floor, the wind around the building is so intense that it carries you around the building and back into the window."

The bartender just shakes his head in disapproval while wiping the bar, but says nothing.

The second guy says, "What? Are you insane? There's no way in hell that could happen!"

"No, no... it's true..." said the first man, "let me prove it to you." He gets up from the bar, jumps over the balcony and plummets toward the street below. When he passes the 10th floor, the high wind whips him around the building and back into the 10th floor window. He takes the elevator back up to the bar. He meets the second man , who is astonished.

"Oh my God, I saw that with my own eyes! But that must 've been a one-time fluke. That was scientifically impossible!"

"No, I'll prove it again," says the first man as he jumps.

Again, just as his body hurtles to wards the street, the 10th floor wind gently carries him around the building and into the window. He takes the elevator back to the bar.

Once upstairs, he successfully convinces his dubious fellow drinker to try it. "Well, what the hell," the second guy says, "I've seen that it works, so I'll try it!"

He immediately jumps over the balcony - plunges downward rapidly passes the 11th, 10th, 9th, 8th floors... . Then his body hits the sidewalk... . Splat!!!!!

Back upstairs, the bartender who had been silent the whole time turns to the first drinker, and shakes his head and says.....


"You know, Superman, you're a real asshole when you're drinking."



don't try this when you're at happy hour today...

weekender...

WHEN I'M 100, IF I LEAN A LITTLE, LET ME!


The family wheeled Grandma out on the lawn, in her wheelchair, where the activities for her 100th birthday were taking place. Grandma couldn't speak very well, but she would write notes when she needed to communicate.

After a short time out on the lawn, Grandma started leaning off to the right, so some family members grabbed her, straightened her up, and stuffed pillows on her right.

A short time later, she started leaning off to her left, so
again the family grabbed her and stuffed pillows on her left.

Soon she started leaning forward, so the family members again grabbed her, and then tied a pillowcase around her waist to hold her up.

A nephew who arrived late came up to Grandma and said, 'Hi, Grandma, you're looking good! How are they treating you?'

Grandma took out her little notepad and slowly wrote a note to the nephew......

'Bastards won't let me fart.'

wednesday waner...

I can't believe I was doing it wrong all these years.

WE MUST SPREAD THE WORD.

in spite of my cynicism...

if the election goes as i hope it will, i will be one of the first in tears. i've already been feeling moments here and there of emotion.

my godson just texted me to say IT'S HERE! VOTE! VOTE! he is so unbelievably excited about this whole election and has been for a long time. it has been great seeing him involved in something like this in his 26 years. the only other thing he's ever been enamored of is sports.

he sees the potential for something big in an Obama elected. i do also. he sees the start of a promise that has been long in coming. i do also.

i have waited for 40 years to be able to say that the concept of hope with which i sustain my existence may move closer to reality.

yet, It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings.

she's warming up right now...

it's not just a right;

it's a responsibility...

i'm upsetting friends...

i have posted my cynicism about this election in a number of different ways. i live in the Chicago area and i believe that it is a foregone conclusion that Illinois will go to Obama, but i'm not sure of the rest of the country. i think that the numbers, the polls, the predictions, etc. are most confusing for a lot of people.

while the media is working on the presumption that Senator Obama will be the President-Elect on Wednesday, i have seen too many unusual things happen with the U.S. electorate. basically, they are fickle and influenced by fear and innuendo most of all.

though many pundits and newspeople are saying that John McCain has run not just a loose campaign but one with a scattergun effect, especially over the last week or so. i have found, working in both the public and private sectors and also in the service industry that peoples memories are short and tend to remember the last thing they hear.

as an example in this election, the word socialism has been bandied about by Palin and the Republicans. unfortunately, to most U.S. voters it is a dirty word, in spite of the fact that we have had socialized medicine for the elderly with Medicare and the Tsar and his minions just socialized the credit, banking and other industries with their baleouts.

when these people use the word socialism they are implying the word communism. at the same time, Palin used the word Marxism in reference to Senator Obama last week. in the belief that the U.S. electorate is actually a stupid body of people, the Mcpains are counting on the confusion of the three to instill or at least implant fear in the minds of people - especially the elderly who remember the witchhunt of Joe McCarthy, the Cold War with the USSR, the battle for Southeast Asia in Vietnam, and many other things that brought fear into the minds of U.S. citizens.

it's a vicious circle that has been perfected by the Republicans, especially, and been used as a master-plan to retain control and prevent the inclusion of new and, possibly, more modern and useful ideas and actions. it's been done for centuries, as i've written in previous posts.

now, back to how i'm upsetting my friends.

i have this very distinct sense that this historical error may actually occur. on Wednesday, November 3, 1948, the Chicago Tribune actually printed this banner headlined front page -

my personal fear and why i'm upsetting my friends? that not just the Tribune but other papers, websites and media will have this headline on Wednesday, November 5, 2008

McCain Defeats Obama

and i can't seem to shake it.

more than this, i can only imagine what the immediate repercussions could be around the country and, of course the long term effects of a Mcpain administration and the possibility of the second dumbest person to hold high office in the U.S. - Tsar George being the first. and, no, i am not talking about John McCain.

i wish for, what to me, would be reigniting of the hopes, dreams and goals of the movements in the 1960's. the Age of Aquarius is not just a short period of history; it is a period of about 2,150 years. by accounts it began around 1844. it's an age of promise for growth and progress, in spite of, or rather because of, the upheavals of the revolutions, world wars, depressions, nuclear discoveries, etc. that put a new sense of humanity into play.

i am not a true believer in astrology but i am a student of history and its cyclical nature. in most cases the cycles begin and end because humankind comes to the realization that the lot they are now part of is no longer working.

of course, on the opposite side are the groups of humankind who fear change and allow themselves to be played by the old guard. this play has been going on for 60 years now. i want it to stop, but i fear that i will not get to see it myself, but i know that...

when hope is gone, life is over...

monday morning mayhem...

helpful hints for home or work...

1. IF YOU'RE CHOKING ON AN ICE CUBE, SIMPLY POUR A CUP OF BOILING WATER DOWN YOUR THROAT. PRESTO! THE BLOCKAGE WILL INSTANTLY REMOVE ITSELF.

2. AVOID CUTTING YOURSELF WHEN SLICING VEGETABLES BY GETTING SOMEONE ELSE TO HOLD THE VEGETABLES WHILE YOU CHOP.

3. AVOID ARGUMENTS WITH THE FEMALES ABOUT LIFTING
THE TOILET SEAT BY USING THE SINK.

4. FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE SUFFERERS ~ SIMPLY CUT YOURSELF AND BLEED FOR A FEW MINUTES, THUS REDUCING THE PRESSURE ON YOUR VEINS. REMEMBER TO USE A TIMER.

5. A MOUSE TRAP PLACED ON TOP OF YOUR ALARM CLOCK WILL PREVENT YOU FROM ROLLING OVER AND GOING BACK TO SLEEP AFTER YOU HIT THE SNOOZE BUTTON.

6. IF YOU HAVE A BAD COUGH, TAKE A LARGE DOSE OF LAXATIVES. THEN YOU'LL BE AFRAID TO COUGH.

7. YOU ONLY NEED TWO TOOLS IN LIFE: WD-40 AND DUCT TAPE. IF IT DOESN'T MOVE AND SHOULD, USE THE WD-40. IF IT SHOULDN'T MOVE AND DOES, USE THE DUCT TAPE.

8. REMEMBER - EVERYONE SEEMS NORMAL UNTIL YO U GET TO KNOW THEM.

9. IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU'VE GOT AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.

DAILY THOUGHT: SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES - NOT REALLY GOOD FOR ANYTHING BUT THEY BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN PUSHED DOWN THE STAIRS.


works for me...


if you are one that has the proclivitly...

to go to church, temple, etc., i dare you not to think of this while there this week...





and last time you had your eyes checked wasssssss...





something tells me that this is going to be a long week until Tuesday. hopefully, the three days after that will go very fast...


maybe this will make things go faster?

Don't forget to vote. Every vote counts whether you want to believe it or not.
also, it is federal law that employers must give employees 2-hours off to vote...


and, yes, Vote for Obama+Biden. it's the only choice for the future...

political yard signs...

I grew up in the community in which I now live. I moved back to the house when my father died about 18 years ago to help my Mom with my sister who was handicapped.

I have seen the community change since I was 5-years old but slowly. It is a small city on the near Southwest side of Chicago. The Chicago city limits is one block from my house.

The median (one of the most inaccurate statistics) income is around $39,000, lower than Chicago and surrounding communities. Per capita income is $19,149. The population of 4,467 is 3.8% Latino and 94.8% White, leaving 1.4% in the other category. Yes, as of the 2000 census, the African-American population was 0.00% and my observation would be that, with the exception of mixed-race children, it is still the same. The median age of residents is 38-years old, higher than most communities. [info from Wikipedia, nationmaster.com & MuniNetGuide]

I'm citing this data to make a couple of observations in my 56 year history with the city. It has always been conservative, mostly Catholic, blue-collar, and family oriented. As the older residents began dying, their children usually took over the homes and stayed. This is my case, as it were, also. I, however, do not fit into the demographic outline for the most part. I am liberal; I made, before retiring, well over $100,000 a year; I left the Catholic church and actually consider myself an existential atheist; and I never married because it is illegal for me to do so in the State of Illinois (LGBT). The only way that I fit into the demographic is I decided to live in my childhood home after my mother and sister died.

So, back to the topic of the post heading - political yard signs...

Normally with elections, the community is very active. You can see supporter signs all over the city. I was in one of the western suburbs (Naperville) the other day and was struck by the literal hundreds of signs I saw.

Driving through the neighborhood in my community it is patently obvious something is going on.

Except for one lady who wrote a letter to the small biweekly paper reporting her Obama sign was stolen, there are no signs for Obama, McCain, Senator Durbin, etc. The only sign on many lawns is to support the Fire District referendum to increase the tax rate that has stayed the same for many years. [I voted for the increase.]

I am not sure what this means, besides it being such an obvious change from past history.

Does it mean that people are supporting Obama but don't want anyone to know it? Or, does it mean they are supporting McCain but don't want anyone to know it?

I really am not sure. I'm going to have to look closely at the precinct results when they come out on Wednesday or Thursday.

at the least, it kind of makes me a little more hopeful.

i would think that most people who live here would vote for McCain...

taxes, taxes, taxes...

i'm really tired of hearing the Mcpains harping on the alleged tax increase interpretation they believe Senator Obama's economic plan will bring.

if you go to Obama's website (Obama-Biden Tax Calculator), there is a calculator that you can enter your income and find out what his plan means to you. my taxes would decrease by about $575. i haven't found the same at the Mcpain website, and, please, correct me if i'm wrong.

so, there is a question that comes to my mind about the Republican nominee's real plan. i don't completely understand it and i think that they are hiding that their plan will continue to support corporate welfare.

there is a very simple solution - a flat tax. [by the way, this link is to the Heritage Foundation. no fly-by-night organization.]

charge individuals the exact same rate - say 17% - with no deductions or loopholes. i might rethink capitol gains or losses, because they may have a long term effect on investment and people could get hit with a large amount all at once that would exceed a true 17% picture.

then, have a separate tax program for corporations that would be similar to a flat tax system but with benefits for growth.

there are a few plans out there and you can find them for yourself by going to a Google search. (just click on the word Google to a search i've begun already)

somehow, though, i don't think that either Mr. Obama or Mr. McCain would go along with this right now. the powers that be are in such dire straits that there would be too much pressure from them with very little logic and fear that they may lose somthing.

however, most of the countries that have gone with a flat tax have shown an economic growth overall.

we need to completely rethink government at this point. it has become so complicated that i don't think the Founding Fathers would recognize it. it's become like the English language: there are rules of grammar and usage to follow but there are so many exceptions it makes it more confusing and difficult.


think about it...

boo...

and i'm not talking about Halloween, since it is now over.

why is it that when there is booing at an Obama rally he says something like, "Now, we'll have none of that."

but at the Palin (especially) and McCain rallies when people boo, they say absolutely nothing?

i'm just asking...